FAN: ‘Hockey in 60 seconds,’ essay: official rules of the 2025 Dr. Judith Benscoter Female Athlete Scholarship contest

Class of 2025 seniors in Pennsylvania, New York, Virginia, New Jersey, Florida, North Carolina, Georgia, Massachusetts, Ohio, and Michigan may start working on their submissions to enter the ‘2025 Dr. Judith Benscoter Female Athlete Scholarship’ contest today (February 20, 2025).

Female Athlete News is sponsoring the contest. FAN, LLC will start accepting entries on February 24, 2025.

“FAN has allocated $10,000 in scholarship money to two field hockey athletes since our program began,” said FAN CEO and Founder Jana Benscoter. “We are excited to expand our contest to include the top 10 states that read our website.

“The name of our scholarship has changed to the Dr. Judith Benscoter Female Athlete Scholarship. We want to thank Linda Kreiser, longstanding head field hockey at Lower Dauphin High School, for allowing us to name the first two scholarships after her. Kreiser continues to leave an indelible mark in the field hockey community.

“She and I had discussed renaming the scholarship after a coach annually, however, after further reflection, I’ve decided to name the scholarship after my late aunt. She, and her twin sister, is the reason we love field hockey in our family.

“My Aunt Judy did remarkable things as a fierce female in the 1970s, 1980s, and early 1990s, until her sudden passing in 1994. She was an orthopedic surgeon, a reserve on the United States Field Hockey Team, the medical director for USA Field Hockey, having traveled with the team to Seoul, Korea in 1988, and among other things, was one of the most generous people I’ve ever met in my life.

“She cared about her medical community. And, our family went to cheer her on at Temple University when she was inducted to its Hall of Fame. She introduced us to the Special Olympics, where she also dedicated her time and energy.”

This year’s field hockey scholarship includes two parts.

“We have changed our scholarship contest to a more hands on contest for the athletes,” Jana Benscoter said. “We are a media company and we want to see your skills. We are requesting a 60 second video showing us a day in the life of the entrant, as well as a 500 word essay.”

Below you will find the official sponsor rules. In future years, we will expand further into additional sports. Only female, field hockey athletes may enter the contest. 

Official Rules

2025 Female Athlete News, Dr. Judith Benscoter Female Athlete Scholarship

OFFICIAL RULES

These Official Rules (“Official Rules” or “Rules”) govern the FAN, LLC 2025 “Dr. Judith Benscoter Female Athlete Scholarship” (“Contest”). The act of entering the Contest constitutes acceptance of the Rules as contained herein and of the decisions of FAN, LLC, which are final and binding in all respects.

1. Sponsor and Moderator. Sponsored and moderated by FAN, LLC, located in Pennsylvania. (“Sponsor”).
2. Eligibility. The Contest is open to any participant who meets the following requirements (an “Eligible Participant”): (i) is a legal resident of (and is physically located or resides in) Pennsylvania, New York, Virginia, New Jersey, Florida, North Carolina, Georgia, Massachusetts, Ohio, and Michigan; (ii) is a graduating Class of 2025 senior; (iii) is enrolled in a high school or home school association at the high-school level during the 2024-25 school year; (iv) played field hockey in the Fall of 2024; (v), and, is signed or committed to play field hockey in Division I, Division II, or Division III
3. Timing. The Contest begins at 12:00:00 PM Eastern Daylight Savings Time (“EDT”) on February 21, 2025, and ends at 11:59:59 PM EDT on March 10, 2025 (the “Contest Period”). Eligible Participants will have the opportunity to submit their Entry (defined below) in the Contest from 12:00:00 PM EDT on February 24, 2025, through 12:00:00 PM EDT on March 10, 2025 (the “Entry Period”). All components of each Entry must be submitted online within the Entry Period in accordance with these Official Rules and received by 12:00:00 PM EDT on March 10, 2025, in order to be eligible. Each Entry will be scored by a panel of judges from March 10, 2025, through March 12, 2025 (the “Judging Period”) and the top-scoring Entries will be deemed the Finalists (the “Finalists”) and will move on to Community Voting (as defined below) which will run from 12:00:00 PM EDT on March 13, 2025, through 11:59:59 PM EDT on March 16, 2025 (the “Community Voting Period”). After the end of the Community Voting Period, Sponsor will determine and validate the final winners of the Contest. The final winners will be announced on or about March 17, 2025.
4. How to Enter. Eligible Participants may enter the Contest as one (1) single individual only (“Entrant”). Each Entrant must create short video – ‘Hockey in 60 seconds’ – and write a 500 word essay explaining how your athletic training and discipline translate to your academic pursuits and overall life goals; the video should introduce the individual, show off a skill or skills, show your training, your studies, and illustrate your high school student-athlete life; the essay should include compelling elements, including laughter, humor, seriousness, academic goals, an overall story about you; assistance from family and/or friends is permitted; however, paid professionals cannot participate in any way.

Before submitting a video and essay, entrants must fill out this GoogleDoc form to be considered. Entrants then may submit videos and essays to [email protected] beginning Feb. 24. Entrants must acknowledge that they have read and agree to the Official Rules by checking the box that appears on the Entry form. Contest Entries must be in the English language. All components of each Contest Entry must be submitted online in accordance with these Official Rules and received within the Entry Period in order to be eligible. Online Contest Entries only. No other method of Contest Entry will be accepted.

ANY ENTRANT WHO IS A MINOR MUST NOTIFY HER PARENT/GUARDIAN, HAVE THE CONSENT OF HER PARENT/GUARDIAN AND PROVIDE PARENT/GUARDIAN WITH THE OPTION TO REMOVE THEIR ENTRY FROM ADMISSION IN THE CONTEST.

When a Contest Entry is received, the Entrant will be notified via email or phone call. After a moderation period, the Entrant will receive an email notification that the submission has been accepted or denied. Please do not call or email Sponsor until five (5) business days after submitting a Contest Entry.

By participating in the Contest, Entrants are providing information to FAN, LLC, not to any website providers (“Providers”). Entrants hereby release Providers from any and all liability in connection with the Contest. Entrants also acknowledge that the Contest is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with any Providers.

1. Judging. During the Judging Period, all eligible Contest Entries will be judged by a panel of expert judges (the “Judges”) based on the following criteria:

The panel of Judges will remain anonymous. Based on the Judges’ scores, the top 3 entrants from each participating state will be determined a “Finalist” and will move on to the Community Voting Period. Decision of Judges is final and binding on all matters relating to this Contest and Sponsor reserves the right to determine fewer than 30 as potential Finalists if, in its sole discretion, it does not receive a sufficient number of eligible and qualified Entries or if a selected Finalist is deemed ineligible. Decisions of Judges/Sponsor are final and binding with respect to all matters relating to this Contest. Finalists will be notified on or about March 12, 2024.

Becoming a Finalist is subject to validation and verification of eligibility and compliance with all terms and conditions set forth in these Official Rules.

1. Community Voting. All eligible Finalists’ Contest Entries essays will appear on femaleathletenews.com; a $2.99 subscription is required to cast a vote; purchasing a temporary membership will be made available in mid-March; all eligible Finalists will have their video published to FAN, LLC’s Instagram page, where voters must be following Female Athlete News for a vote to count; the video with the most likes, shares, and reel views (not comments) will rank highest in calculating the winner; All videos and stories will be published the same day starting on or around March 13, 2025; Finalists and Entrants are prohibited from obtaining votes by any fraudulent or inappropriate means or practices, including, without limitation, offering prizes, payments or other inducements, to members of the public and/or using any websites designed to induce individuals or provide other incentives to vote for their Entry, as determined by Sponsor in its sole discretion. Any attempt by an Entrant, Finalist or other individual/entity to manipulate or undermine the integrity of the voting as determined by Sponsor in its sole discretion will result in disqualification, with the understanding that disqualification shall not represent the sole remedy available to Sponsor. Votes received from any person or email address in excess of the stated limitation will be void. The use of script, macro, or any other robotic or automatic devices for voting and any other means that subvert the voting process is prohibited, and Sponsor reserves the right to nullify all such votes and to disqualify the responsible individual from voting.

Finalists may use their own social media accounts to promote their story and video. But, publishing to another website is not allowed.  

1. Determination of Winners. Upon the close of the Community Voting Period, Sponsor will tally the online votes. Sponsor reserves the right to disregard any votes it reasonably deems ineligible or fraudulent. The Finalist receiving the greatest number of valid votes will be selected as the winner and awarded the First Place Prize. The remaining top two Finalists will each be awarded a Runner’s Up Prize.
2. Winning is subject to validation and verification of eligibility and compliance with all terms and conditions set forth in the Official Rules. Winners will be notified via either phone call and/or email.

1. Prizes. One (1) First Place Prize – Dr. Judith Benscoter Female Athlete Scholarship: $5,000 Cash Scholarship; One (1) Second Place Prize – $500 Cash Scholarship; One (1) Third Place Prize – FAN sweatshirt, t-shirt, hat, and pajama pants.
2. General Entry Conditions. LIMIT ONE (1) CONTEST ENTRY PER ENTRANT. Subsequent submissions made by the same Entrant will not be considered. If a dispute results as to the identity of an online Entrant, it will be determined that the online Entry was submitted by the authorized account holder of the email address from which the Entry is made. For these purposes, the authorized account holder is the natural person assigned to an email address by an internet access provider, online service provider or other organization responsible for assigning email addresses or the domain associated with the submitted email address. The promotional website’s database clock will be the official timekeeping device for the Contest.

By submitting a video and essay, a participant hereby acknowledges that they own or have secured all rights to use, publish and copyright the video. Videos must be of good quality. Entrants to the Contest may use the Sponsor’s name (FAN, LLC), logo and product in their Contest Entry. Incomplete Contest Entries or Contest Entries not complying with these Official Rules are subject to disqualification. Sponsor is not responsible for late, lost, incomplete, illegible, damaged, or misdirected Contest Entries.

Sponsor’s decisions are final on all matters relating to this Contest.

1. Content Restrictions. The Contest Entry must be in keeping with the Sponsor’s image, and may not be offensive, nor can it defame, or invade upon the publicity rights or privacy of any person or otherwise infringe upon any person or entity’s intellectual property, personal or proprietary rights, as determined by Sponsor and the Contest judges in their sole discretion. Sponsor reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to remove any Contest Entry posted to the website that the Sponsor feels is inappropriate, objectionable and/or inconsistent with the positive image and/or good will it wishes to promote in this contest. If Contest Entry is removed from the website by Sponsor, Contest Entry may be automatically disqualified at Sponsor’s sole discretion.

All eligible participants acknowledge and agree that all Contest Entry materials submitted in connection with this Contest are submitted on a non-confidential and non-proprietary basis and may be used by Sponsor, its agents and subsidiaries, for advertising and promotion purposes including, without limitation, in connection with the promotional website and the Voting Site described herein. Each Entrant to the Contest must either (i) be the sole and exclusive owner of all rights (including, without limitation, all intellectual property rights) in and to all content and elements incorporated into or used in the Contest Entry; or (ii) have the express written permission to use such content and elements from the owner(s) of the rights to such content and elements. Any Entrant whose Contest Entry includes likenesses of third parties or contains content or elements not owned by the Entrant (such as, but not limited to, use of songs, proprietary names, trademarks, or logos) must be able to provide written legal releases (in a form that is satisfactory to Sponsor) that permit the Entrant to use and exploit such content and elements in the manner used and exploited and that permit Sponsor’s right to use and exploit the content and materials in accordance with these Official Rules (each an “IP Release”) before the Contest Entry can be eligible to be declared a Finalist or winner.

Contest Entry shall not include, individuals who are: 1) represented under a contract (e.g., by a talent agent or manager) that would limit or impair Sponsor’s ability to display the Contest Entry as permitted by these Official Rules; 2) subject to a contract that would make such individual’s appearance in the video a violation of any third-party rights; or 3) under any other contractual relationship, including but not limited to guild and/or union memberships, that may prevent Sponsor from being able to use the video worldwide in all media in perpetuity on a royalty-free basis, without payment or fee obligations. In the event the likeness of a minor is included in a Contest Entry, Entrant must provide a legal release from the parent/legal guardian of the minor depicted in the Contest Entry.

1. Grant of License. By entering the Contest, Entrant grants Sponsor, its agents, subsidiaries and affiliates (the “Licensees”) a non-exclusive, worldwide, perpetual, irrevocable, royalty-free, sub-licensable right to exercise the copyright, publicity, database rights and any other rights Entrant has in the Contest Entry, in any media now known or hereafter devised (including without limitation, the internet), without any compensation. Further, by entering the Contest, Entrant grants Licensees the additional license to modify, adapt, translate, create derivative works from, and distribute the Entry (with the understanding that Licensees are under no obligation to do so), or incorporate the Entry into any form, medium or technology, including the right, at each Licensee’s sole discretion, to publish the Entry and to use the Entry for advertising and promotional purposes. Licensees shall not be required to designate Entrant as the creator or author of an Entry that is distributed or otherwise exploited by Licensees, or include any references to Entrant on, or in connection with, any Entry that is distributed or otherwise exploited by Licensees.

By submitting a Contest Entry, Entrant acknowledges and agrees that Sponsor may obtain many Contest Entries in connection with this Contest and/or other contests staged and/or promoted by the Sponsor, and that such Contest Entries may be similar or identical in theme, idea, format or other respects to other Contest Entries submitted in connection with this Contest and/or other contests sponsored by the Sponsor or submitted for other reasons or other materials developed by the Sponsor. Entrant waives any and all claims Entrant may have had, may have, and/or may have in the future, that any Contest Entry and/or other works accepted, reviewed and/or used by the Entrant may be similar to his/her Contest Entry, or that any compensation is due to Entrant in connection with such Contest Entry or other works used by Sponsor. By submitting a Contest Entry, Entrant hereby grants permission for the Contest Entry to be posted on www.femaleathletenews.com or other websites. Contest Entrant agrees that Sponsor is not responsible for any unauthorized use of Contest Entries by third parties. Sponsor does not guarantee the posting of any Contest Entry.

1. Representations and Warranties. Each Eligible Participant represents and warrants that: (i) the Contest Entry complies with these Official Rules; (ii) the Contest Entry is original and has not previously won any award or Contest; (iii) the Contest Entry does not and will not infringe any third party’s copyright, patent, trademark, trade secret or other intellectual property or proprietary rights or rights of publicity or privacy; (iv) that the Contest Entry is not the subject of any actual or threatened litigation or claim; (v) the Contest Entry is not obscene, offensive, libelous, pornographic, threatening, abusive, or otherwise objectionable; (vi) the Contest Entry does not contain illegal content, encourage a criminal offense or otherwise give rise to liability or violate any law; (vii) the Contest Entry does not display any logos or trademarks not owned by the Entrant (except the FAN, LLC logo).

Releasees are not responsible for lost, late, illegible, damaged or stolen Entries or submissions, or problems of any kind, whether mechanical, human or electronic. Releasees are not responsible for technical, hardware or software malfunctions, telephone failures of any kind, lost or unavailable network connections, inabilit

1. No Liability & Indemnification. ENTRANTS HEREBY AGREE TO RELEASE, INDEMNIFY AND HOLD HARMLESS SPONSOR, MODERATOR AND EACH OF THEIR RESPECTIVE AFFILIATES, SUBSIDIARIES, DIVISIONS, ADVERTISING AND PROMOTION AGENCIES, EMPLOYEES, OFFICERS, DIRECTORS AND SHAREHOLDERS (COLLECTIVELY, THE “RELEASEES”) FROM ANY CLAIMS, ACTIONS, INJURY, LOSS OR DAMAGE OF ANY KIND, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO, PERSONAL INJURY OR DEATH, RESULTING FROM PARTICIPATING IN THIS CONTEST, OR FROM THE ACCEPTANCE, POSSESSION, OR USE OR MISUSE OF ANY PRIZE AWARDED OR PARTICIPATION IN ANY PRIZE-RELATED ACTIVITY. THIS LIMITATION OF LIABILITY IS A COMPREHENSIVE LIMITATION OF LIABILITY THAT APPLIES TO ALL DAMAGES OF ANY KIND, INCLUDING (WITHOUT LIMITATION) COMPENSATORY, DIRECT, INDIRECT, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES; LOSS OF DATA, INCOME, OR PROFIT; LOSS OF DAMAGE TO PROPERTY; AND CLAIMS OF THIRD PARTIES. PARTICIPANTS AGREE THAT SPONSOR HAS NOT MADE NOR IS IN ANY MANNER RESPONSIBLE FOR a user’s system or limit a participant’s ability to participate in the Contest. Sponsor reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to cancel or suspend part or all of this Contest at any time without notice, if virus, bugs, non-authorized human intervention or other causes corrupt or impair the administration, security, fairness or integrity and proper play of the Contest. In such event, Sponsor may, at its sole discretion, void any Entries it suspects are at issue and award prizes from among all eligible Entries/votes received up to the date of cancellation.

ANY ATTEMPT BY AN ENTRANT OR ANY OTHER INDIVIDUAL TO DELIBERATELY DAMAGE ANY ONLINE SERVICE RELATED TO THIS CONTEST OR TO UNDERMINE THE LEGITIMATE OPERATION OF THE CONTEST MAY BE A VIOLATION OF CRIMINAL AND CIVIL LAWS AND SHOULD SUCH AN ATTEMPT BE MADE, THE SPONSOR RESERVES THE RIGHT TO SEEK DAMAGES (INCLUDING ATTORNEY’S FEES) FROM ANY SUCH PERSON TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW AND/OR CRIMINAL PROSECUTION.

Sponsor’s failure to enforce any term of these Rules shall not constitute a waiver of that or any other provision. Sponsor reserves the right to disqualify Entrants who violate the Rules or interfere with this Contest in any manner. If an Entrant is disqualified, Sponsor reserves the right to terminate that Entrant’s eligibility to participate in this Contest and/or future Contests.

1. Additional Conditions of Participation. By entering, Entrants (or their parents/legal guardians, if applicable) agree to be bound by these Official Rules including all eligibility requirements. Sponsor will collect information from the Entrant solely for the purpose of administering the Contest and to notify the winners. Sponsor will not share this information with any third parties, except as necessary for the administration of the Contest.

If Entrant (or their parents/legal guardians, if applicable) has checked the correspondence consent box that appears on the registration form, Entrant agrees to receive future information and correspondence from the Sponsor (or agents of Sponsor).

By accepting a prize, a winner (or a parent/legal guardian, if applicable) consents to the use of their name, image, likeness, photo, voice, Entry submission and biographical material for advertising, publicity, and promotional purposes by Sponsor, or a party designated by the Sponsor, including but not limited to, any online announcements, without additional notice or compensation, except where prohibited by Sponsor’s Privacy Policy or by law. All materials submitted in connection with the Contest will not be returned. Entrants agree that the decisions of the Judges and Sponsor are final, and waive any right to claim ambiguity in these Official Rules. Entrants agree that any and all disputes shall be governed by the laws of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.